UKRAINE – AbbVie has announced that all profits from its essential medicines sales in Russia will be donated to direct humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine.

AbbVie, along with Novartis and Eli Lilly, suspended operations for their aesthetics products last month to distance themselves from Russia in light of that country’s aggression against Ukraine.

AbbVie stated at the time that the company “has temporarily suspended operations for all our aesthetics products in Russia,” adding that the company has no manufacturing plants in the region and would continue to monitor their employees in Ukraine and the surrounding area.

AbbVie also halted new clinical studies in Ukraine and Russia, as well as enrollment in ongoing studies.

According to AbbVie, the company will “continue to supply our essential life-saving medicines in Russia.” All profits from AbbVie’s essential medicines sales in Russia will be donated to direct humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine.”

The pharmaceutical company had previously announced on March 15 that it had halted new clinical studies as well as enrollment in ongoing studies in both Ukraine and Russia.

While the pharma did not add much to its statement, it is the most recent update from Big Pharma in response to Ukraine’s war, which is now in its seventh week.

While AbbVie’s latest move brings the company more in line with the rest of the industry, it took the company nearly a month to join other pharmas after companies like Eli Lilly and GlaxoSmithKline announced that profits from Russian sales would be donated to humanitarian efforts.

And, while a few pharmas have remained silent or mum on what actions they are taking in the Russian market, they are few in comparison to the many other pharmas that took action to some extent earlier in March, such as J&J, Pfizer, and Merck.

Many of these companies have gone beyond simply donating profits and stopping trials, such as investing in Russia. Eli Lilly’s efforts included a halt to the export of non-essential medicines into Russia.

Non-essential medications would include Cialis, according to an Eli Lilly spokesperson at the time.

As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues, many multinational corporations have altered their operations in the country.

According to a list compiled by Yale School of Management, approximately 400 companies have suspended, scaled back, or completely exited their Russian operations, Fiercepharma reported on March 16.

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